


We Are NOT Getting A Dog

by Quinn_Coveswena



Series: Pawsome Pet Parents [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Adorable, Canon Related, Canon Universe, Dogs, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Implied Sexual Content, Innuendo, M/M, No Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-25 18:10:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18579835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quinn_Coveswena/pseuds/Quinn_Coveswena
Summary: When Alec tricks Magnus into visiting an animal shelter, he is determined to stand his ground that they will NOT be walking away with a canine companion.





	We Are NOT Getting A Dog

**Author's Note:**

> Because I am helping to feed the angst machine, I felt a sense of duty to help relieve some of the suffering. This fluff fic goes out to my friend Chelo who is slowly losing her mind from all the angst as well as everyone else 3B has beat to an emotional pulp so far. Lord knows we need some happy Malec moments.

“Is this the place?” Magnus asked furrowing his brow slightly at the dingey looking building. He had been following Alec’s lead and wasn’t exactly sure where they were going, only that his boyfriend had insisted on them walking there instead of traveling via portal as they usually did. 

 

Alec looked up at the building, then back down at the map on his phone, and shook his head. Turning to look at the surrounding buildings, he spotted the place across the street and began to pull Magnus along behind him. 

 

“Alexander, you know that I don’t like surprises,” Magnus said in a weary voice. 

 

Alec laughed at him. “You and I both know that isn’t true. I just thought that since, ya know, it’s my day off, it might be fun.”

 

They arrived in front of a slightly less dingey storefront and Magnus instantly realized where Alec had brought him. As if to verify that yes, this was really happening, a lady stepped out through the door holding a pet carrier and the sound of dogs barking floated out into the street behind her.

 

Magnus turned to look at Alec with wide eyes only to find him grinning sheepishly. “Alexander, you didn't.” It was a pillow-talk conversation they had had two weeks ago while still basking in the afterglow from having let off a bit of steam after a particularly rough day at work for both of them. They'd just finally settled into their new apartment together the week prior, and Magnus and Alec had been contemplating what the future holds next for them.

 

“I know you probably weren’t serious about getting a dog together, but I thought it might be fun to look anyway.” 

 

Magnus really hadn’t intended for the conversation to be taken seriously. He wasn’t particularly fond of dogs and they didn’t seem to like him much either. He was much more partial to cats. Besides, why get a dog when already had one set of puppy dog eyes in his life that were impossible to say no to. Puppy dog eyes Alec currently had transfixed on him, silently pleading for Magnus to indulge him.

 

“Fine,” Magnus relented with a sigh. “But we are only looking. We are not getting a dog.”

 

Nodding vigorously in agreement, Alec was practically beaming as they entered the animal shelter. Seeing such a look of joy on Alec’s face made Magnus’ heart skip a beat and forced him to smile as well.

 

Much to Magnus’ delight, the shelter housed all types of animals big and small including cats and Alec, who was not a cat person unless it came to his boyfriend’s warlock mark, agreed that they could go peruse the felines after they finished looking at the dogs. A volunteer who looked to be about college-age led them into the back area where they kept all of the dog kennels.

 

Magnus found the excited barking and smell of dog a bit overwhelming at first, but Alec, with a lopsided grin and a hand firmly clasping Magnus’ own, kept him grounded. Although Magnus wasn’t a dog person, his boyfriend most certainly was and Magnus found it unfairly adorable. Alec would kneel down beside each kennel to great the canines inside and they seemed all too happy to see him as well. Every time any of the dogs started licking his hand through the gaps in the bars, Alec would look up at Magnus with almost childlike glee on his face. And Magnus’ heart swelled watching the entire scene.

 

Leaving Alec to play with a rather rambunctious small dog of indeterminate breed, Magnus made his way further down the row to the last stretch of kennels in the room. All the dogs down here appeared older and much calmer than the ones further up the line. They still stood up to greet him as he passed by, but they weren’t quite so vocal about their excitement. 

 

Stopping every so often to let the dogs sniff him and give the ones that would allow him to touch them pets, Magnus reached the very last kennel. At first, he wasn’t sure if there was a dog in there, as none came running out to meet him or was laying by the cage door, but as he looked inside, tucked back in the corner he could see a pair of eyes looking out at him from underneath a blanket.

 

It struck Magnus as odd that the dog would be under that blanket instead of laying on top of it, but then again he didn’t know much about dogs. Crouching down to get a better look, Magnus let out a little surprised “Oh!” as the dog poked its entire head out. The dog had big brown eyes and its face was white with one a large black or dark brown patch over its right eye and ear. Its left ear seemed to have been flipped over due to its blanket escapades.

 

“Hey there, pup,” Magnus greeted the little fella. The dog cocked its head to the side in curiosity, eliciting a smile from Magnus. “Well aren’t you a little goofball?” he cooed in a friendly voice. 

 

Slowly the dog sat all the way up and let the blanket fall off of its back. It sniffed the air in Magnus’ direction for a moment before getting to its feet and cautiously crossing the space between them. As the dog came closer, Magnus could see that it was mostly white save for the saddle pattern on its back the same color as the spot on its eye. He also realized that the ear he had thought was flipped back was, in actuality, missing. 

 

“Don’t do it,” Magnus whispered to himself as the dog finally reached him. He knew that he had a bleeding heart for the misfits and was in dangerous waters here. Despite knowing that he should just back away now and not risk getting attached to the creature, Magnus held his hand up to the cage door for the dog to sniff. 

 

After getting a couple of whiffs of his sent, the animal seemed to become a whole new dog. Suddenly it was much friendlier and less weary of Magnus, wagging its tail happily and slobbering Magnus’ hand with kisses. Magnus had never been greeted by a dog in such a way, chalking it up to them being able to sense the cat-like nature in him and that age-old rivalry between species.

 

Petting the dog with one hand while it continued its affectionate assault on his other, Magnus suddenly became aware that they had been joined by another presence. “Looks like you’ve made a friend,” Alec said in a low but warm voice. He smiled at Magnus before holding his hand out for the dog to sniff. 

 

The dog soon switched its attention over to the newcomer, giving Alec’s hand the same treatment as Magnus’, and Magnus was surprised to find that he felt a twinge of jealousy at the abandonment. “Hey,” he whined. “We were having a moment here.”

 

Alec raised an eyebrow at him and Magnus could almost see the devious plot coming together in his head. Nope. Nuh uh. They were not getting a dog. No, sir. Not even if that dog had the most soulful eyes Magnus had ever seen and an air of sadness about it that disappeared once Magnus started giving them attention. Or if that missing ear made Magnus want to give the dog a million pets and cuddles and treat it like it was special.

 

Magnus shook his head. “We are not—”

 

“Did you find one you like?” the volunteer from earlier asked, appearing behind them.

 

Before Magnus could answer and tell her they weren’t actually interested in adopting today, Alec jumped in and asked “Who is this little one? What’s their story?” Magnus glared at him, knowing full well what he was up to. He thought that if Magnus heard the dog’s sob story, then he’d cave. Well, it wasn’t going to work.

 

“This is Gizmo,” the girl answered with a huge smile on her face. “He’s been here for quite a while. He’s got a lot stacked against him. For one thing, he’s about five years old, and usually, people are more interested in adopting puppies or younger dogs. Plus, he is a bit shy around new people. The biggest problems people seem to have with him is the ear thing—which he was born without, he didn’t lose it or anything—and that we are pretty sure he is part pitbull. Usually, when we tell people his breed they aren’t interested in listening long enough for us to tell them his former owner had him trained as a therapy dog.”

 

Well shit. Maybe it was going to work after all. Curse his bleeding heart and gorgeous, conniving boyfriend!

 

“What happened to his former owner?” Magnus asked, not missing the look Alec gave him that said he knew his boyfriend’s resolve was weakening.

 

The volunteer’s face fell, and she looked at Gizmo with sad eyes. “He passed away suddenly in his sleep. No one knew until his daughter came to visit a few days later. She found Gizmo here curled up on the bed next to him guarding the body. Her landlord doesn’t allow pets so she couldn’t keep him. She brought him to us about three years ago.”

 

Yup, that did it.

 

“If we were to adopt him,” Magnus began, avoiding looking at Alec who undoubtedly had a smug grin on his face, “what would that process look like? When would we be able to take him home?”

 

The megawatt smile returned to the volunteer’s face. “I have all of the information you need back out front. If you come with me I can walk you through all of it.” 

 

Magnus nodded and got his feet, accepting defeat. What he wouldn’t accept was Alec bragging about it. “I don’t want to hear it, Alexander,” he deadpanned. Alec didn’t say a word, choosing instead to tilt his head up inviting Magnus in for a kiss. Rolling his eyes and laughing despite himself, Magnus obliged.

 

“I’ll go deal with the paperwork and everything else while you stay here with the dog,” Magnus whispered in his ear, “if tonight you let me pay you back for being a pain in the butt today.” Just for good measure, as Magnus pulled back to face him, he flashed Alec with his cat eye.

 

A shiver of ran over Alec and his pupils grew wide. “Yeah, I think that sounds more than fair,” he responded, licking his lips. 

 

Magnus smirked at him, patted Alec’s cheek, and left to go get started on adopting their dog.

 

***

 

Alec sat on the floor in front of Gizmo’s cage scratching his ears through the gaps. He knew that he hadn’t exactly played fair, but Magnus had been the first one to fall in love with this little guy, and Alec just really really wanted a dog. He had since he was seven. Unfortunately, pets weren’t allowed at the Institute. But now that he and Magnus had a place of their own, one that did allow pets, he had thought that adopting one would be the first step in them starting a family together.

 

“You’re gonna love your new home, Gizmo,” Alec promised the pupper. “Your daddies are gonna take good care of you.” As if in response, Gizmo let out a happy sounding noise and flopped onto his back so Alec could attempt to rub his belly. 

 

He had just gotten a few scratches in when Gizmo rolled back over and sat straight up, staring over Alec’s shoulder with his good ear perked up. “What is it, buddy?” Alec asked, following the direction Gizmo was looking. His eyes settled on a door kitty-corner to the one that led to the front of the shelter and watched as an actual kitty poked its head around the corner and meowed as if to announce its presence. The second it did, Gizmo’s tail began to wag rapidly and he let out an excited whine.

 

Despite most of the dogs going crazy in their kennels, the slim black cat walked straight past them down the aisle without so much as its hair raised. If Alec didn’t know any better, he would say the cat walked in like it owned the place. It was only when the cat came close to him that its carefree demeanor changed and it regarded him with suspicion. It rubbed its head up against Gizmo’s cage and meowed at Alec almost accusatorially.

 

With the cat now so close, Gizmo got extra excited, jumping to his feet, tail wagging full-force, and letting out a small bark. The cat turned its attention away from Alec to look at Gizmo and meow again. When their faces got closer together, Alec braced himself for Gizmo to snap at the cat or for the cat to scratch the poor dog. What he didn’t expect was to see the two nuzzle up against each other and for the cat to start to purr. 

 

When they were done, the cat and the dog sat facing one another seeming to almost be having a conversation with one another. Alec wasn’t sure if this was normal behavior or not, but here he was, witnessing it with his own two eyes. He didn’t know how things could get much stranger aside from the two actually talking to one another in human voices, but Alec was still caught off-guard when the cat turned its attention back to him, sniffed him in a thorough inspection, meowed, and crawled into his lap.

 

Just as Magnus was not a dog person, Alec was not a cat person. Yet here this mysterious cat who seemed to be besties with his future dog appeared to have claimed him, what with the way it was rubbing its face all over his shirt and jacket, purring the entire time. Alec slowly ventured to pet the creature and it butted its head into the palm of his hand before egging him on to keep petting it. 

 

When Magnus and the volunteer lady came back a while later with a stack of papers in hand, Alec could only stare at them with wide, disbelieving eyes as he sat there holding this cat that had cradled itself in his arms like a baby. 

 

“Shadow!” the volunteer exclaimed in surprise. Both Magnus and Alec looked at her in confusion and she blushed slightly under the attention. “Sorry. This is Shadow. We don’t know how, but she’s somehow always able to slip out of her cage, and when she does get out we can usually find her here visiting with Gizmo. Don’t know how, but they’ve somehow become best friends.”

 

“Why were you so shocked to see her then?” Magnus asked, still trying to take in the sight of his Alexander voluntarily holding and petting a cat. He had once told Magnus that he was not unconvinced that cats secretly plotted the murder of their owners at night. Magnus had just told him that it wasn’t a problem so long as you were a light sleeper and could easily foil their assassination attempts. Alec hadn’t been too thrilled about that answer.

 

“Oh, well, Shadow doesn’t really like people too much,” the volunteer explained. “It isn’t so much that she is aggressive as it is that she prefers for humans to mind her personal space as much and often as possible. Seeing her cuddling your boyfriend here is like, I don’t know, finding out there’s this whole other world you never knew about that exists right under your nose.”

 

Magnus and Alec shared a look and fought back a smile. It morphed into an entire silent conversation as Alec looked down at the cat in his arms, over to Gizmo who was laying as close to the two as possible through the kennel door, and back up to Magnus, raised his eyebrows and tilted his head to the side as if to say ‘ _ Why not?’ _ . Magnus raised his eyebrows back, checking to see if he was serious, and Alec nodded in response. 

 

With a smile on his face, Magnus turned to face the girl who had been helping them all day. “My dear,” he announced, “I think we are going to need another adoption form.”

 

***

 

Two weeks later, Magnus and Alec had both Gizmo and Shadow home. That night, cuddled up together they watched their cat and dog sleep soundly curled up with one another at the foot of their bed. Gizmo began dream running slightly and the human occupants of the bed smiled fondly, happy that he was so happy to have a home. Unlike most cats, it seemed that Shadow went against her nocturnal instincts and would sleep during the night, which meant that Alec’s fears of her killing them in their sleep were minimal. He still wasn’t 100% certain though. At least she was cute and cuddly.

 

“You know,” Alec said, absentmindedly tracing runes over Magnus’ skin, “they say that having pets is kind of like having practice for having kids.” He froze for a moment waiting to hear Magnus’ response.

 

The implications of his statement were not lost on Magnus. Slowly he propped himself up on his elbow so that he could look down and see Alec’s face. He could see that his boyfriend was panicking a bit inside and that simply wouldn’t do.

 

Magnus smiled as he pushed hair back out of Alec’s face and caressed his cheeks lovingly. “Alexander, I think you’re getting a little ahead of yourself. We’d need to get married first before we start adopting children.”

**Author's Note:**

> I sincerely hope that Malec and their pets have helped ease your suffering. Godspeed, lovelies.


End file.
